I'mma take your grandpa's style.

January 18, 2013 9:23 AM

MACKLEMORE & RYAN LEWIS - THRIFT SHOP FEAT. WANZ (SLYTN SFW)
posted by cmoj (71 comments total)

This song is, essentially, my life.
posted by showbiz_liz at 9:24 AM on January 18, 2013 [9 favorites]

I enjoyed that a lot more than I expected to. And it will also be stuck in my head all day.
posted by Kitteh at 9:29 AM on January 18, 2013 [1 favorite]

Maclkemore & Ryan Lewis: twice before on the Blue.
posted by filthy light thief at 9:30 AM on January 18, 2013 [2 favorites]

They were playing it on the local college station earlier in the autumn. I love the hell out of this song.
posted by Slap*Happy at 9:31 AM on January 18, 2013

It's not usually the style of music I go for but I can't help but love Macklemore, he interviews very well too!
posted by Hazelsmrf at 9:31 AM on January 18, 2013

Great song. Great artist.

I want that young girl's last line and giggle as my ringtone.
posted by AloneOssifer at 9:32 AM on January 18, 2013 [2 favorites]

I hadn't realized I'd wasted my life until I saw a man in a used faux fur jacket pop the door of a delorean.

When I lived in Arvada, there was a Delorean in storage around the corner from my house. I used to just spend, like, hours, just gaping over it. The owner never moved it, never covered it, nothing.
posted by boo_radley at 9:33 AM on January 18, 2013 [4 favorites]

Definitely go back to the "before" link as posted by filthy light thief. It is a song of depth and consequence I wasn't expecting out of the poppy fun of Thrift Shop.
posted by shinynewnick at 9:36 AM on January 18, 2013 [1 favorite]

Way to represent the 206.
posted by scblackman at 9:36 AM on January 18, 2013 [7 favorites]

Fuck that song is sooooooo good.
posted by Aizkolari at 9:39 AM on January 18, 2013

I liked it until he calculated the overcharging for style at brand name stores, then I fucking loved it.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 9:39 AM on January 18, 2013 [5 favorites]

Requesting to add the "THISISFUCKINGAWESOME" tag.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 9:40 AM on January 18, 2013 [12 favorites]

This has been my go-to dishwashing song for weeks, now. Makes me feel like a real dishwashing badass, yep.

I love that he buys the broken keyboard.
posted by redsparkler at 9:42 AM on January 18, 2013 [4 favorites]

I have a mild dislike for this song, but I do like the horn sample in the hook.

Also, I'm not at all surprised that people here are so in to it.
posted by codacorolla at 9:42 AM on January 18, 2013 [2 favorites]

At first I thought it was just kinda a throwaway pop hip song with a catchy hook which is still a decent accomplishment but then I really enjoyed the lyrics and all the subtext added in the video. It's still kinda a goofy pop hip hop song but if it gets people picking up other examples of their work including the great and moving "Same Love" then awesome. It's nice having smart hip hop that is also incredibly fun to listen to.
posted by vuron at 9:43 AM on January 18, 2013

What an extremely yummy singer.
Loved it - thanks.
posted by Jody Tresidder at 9:45 AM on January 18, 2013 [1 favorite]

He kinda looks like Seth Green to me.
posted by boo_radley at 9:47 AM on January 18, 2013 [1 favorite]

Also, I'm not at all surprised that people here are so in to it.

Oh? Do tell.
posted by elsietheeel at 9:47 AM on January 18, 2013

I like a lot off The Heist album, but The Vs EP is crazy good.
posted by mean cheez at 9:50 AM on January 18, 2013

Wow, I was flipping radio stations on the way home from work the other day, and stopped on this because it was interesting, about the only interesting thing on pop radio (aside from Ke$ha, obviously).

The minute I walked in the door I told my wife she had to listen to it.
posted by uncleozzy at 9:53 AM on January 18, 2013

Was that a Sen. Clay Davis "sheeeeit" sample in there? That's tight.
posted by Hey Dean Yeager! at 9:54 AM on January 18, 2013 [1 favorite]

Fuck, I just got this song out of my head.
posted by desjardins at 9:55 AM on January 18, 2013 [9 favorites]

Macklemore and Ryan Lewis make a great NPR Tiny Desk Concert Warning: YouTube video
posted by fijiwriter at 10:00 AM on January 18, 2013 [4 favorites]

This was catchy as fuck.
posted by deezil at 10:02 AM on January 18, 2013

Besides Same Love and this song, there is also Macklemore's excellent, insightful song about getting back to recovery after drug addiction relapse, Starting Over (Youtube link) (lyrics). I'm a fan.
posted by larrybob at 10:05 AM on January 18, 2013 [1 favorite]

I don't know if I love the song or the sentiment behind it more. Awesome, fucking.
posted by Pantengliopoli at 10:08 AM on January 18, 2013

Definitely go back to the "before" link as posted by filthy light thief. It is a song of depth and consequence I wasn't expecting out of the poppy fun of Thrift Shop.

Agreed. Same Love is a beautiful song and I'm tearing up a bit just thinking of it.

The whole album is fantastic. More catchy fun than serious songs, but there's a mix.
posted by filthy light thief at 10:08 AM on January 18, 2013

The super slo-mo of him bouncing along the thrift store furniture, his fur coat trailing behind him like some crazy-ass superhero cape is wonderful.
posted by Rock Steady at 10:10 AM on January 18, 2013 [4 favorites]

Another mefite sent me a link to this this morning! I love it.
posted by SpaceWarp13 at 10:19 AM on January 18, 2013

Wait, this is the first time this song has been on the Blue?
posted by JauntyFedora at 10:23 AM on January 18, 2013

Man, that horn riff over the verse is just the best.

This song always reminds me of The Old Prince Still Lives at Home by Shad.
posted by no regrets, coyote at 10:26 AM on January 18, 2013 [1 favorite]

And also see Wings (YouTube video), the Macklemore x Ryan Lewis song about sneakerhead commodity fetishism, which he discussed in an interview with Nice Kicks.
posted by larrybob at 10:37 AM on January 18, 2013 [3 favorites]

Lately, gaming website/network IGN posted a video on Youtube called "Game Shop," a good pastiche of the song and video covering the thrifty gamer.
posted by Sunburnt at 10:43 AM on January 18, 2013 [2 favorites]

I don't want to like this, but...
posted by The Michael The at 10:47 AM on January 18, 2013

This is the ridiculously unselfconscious video that has endeared him to me. Technically barely SFW, but your coworkers will think you're weird.
posted by desjardins at 10:49 AM on January 18, 2013 [4 favorites]

Damn this is good
posted by Divest_Abstraction at 10:50 AM on January 18, 2013

Prolly shoulda washed it--smells like R. Kelly's sheets.

Piss

Yup--what's not to love in this song?
posted by leftcoastbob at 10:55 AM on January 18, 2013 [1 favorite]

Best selling single in Australia, week ending Nov 18th 2012. As if anyone ever cares about that anymore.

It's awesome :)
posted by cromagnon at 10:56 AM on January 18, 2013 [1 favorite]

I have shopped at all of those thrift stores, and have found some true gems.

Goodwill Outlet on 6th and Holgate represent.
posted by spinifex23 at 11:09 AM on January 18, 2013 [3 favorites]

Queued up the NPR Music clip from the related clip before lunch, and my goodness this is amazing.
posted by deezil at 11:10 AM on January 18, 2013

Wait, this is the first time this song has been on the Blue?

FIrst time as a main post; I first heard it linked in a comment sometime in November I think. Who cares though, this should be posted everyday. It basically got me through the hockey-less fall.

They had a broken keyboard
I bought a broken keyboard
Got a sweet blanket
Then I bought a kneeboard
posted by mannequito at 11:36 AM on January 18, 2013

mannequito: that's a 'skeet blanket' and sorry if that ruins things for you.
posted by komara at 11:42 AM on January 18, 2013 [4 favorites]

I had to google to find out what that was, but no, it doesn't ruin it. Improves it!
posted by mannequito at 11:51 AM on January 18, 2013 [1 favorite]

I kept hearing bits of this song on the radio; a rap about going to the thrift shop? Now this is relevant to my interests!
posted by mogget at 12:15 PM on January 18, 2013

It's kind of mindblowing that MeFi was enough behind the curve on this one that it didn't make it onto the blue until it was already a number one hit that had been featured on The Ellen Show.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 12:17 PM on January 18, 2013 [3 favorites]

To be fair, I learned about it in the earlier Macklemore thread back in October.

(That's me being a Metafilter-defender, not me trying to be hipper than thou.)

It's not a double at all, but it's a single-and-a-third at least.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 12:21 PM on January 18, 2013

It's kind of mindblowing that MeFi was enough behind the curve on this one that it didn't make it onto the blue until it was already a number one hit that had been featured on The Ellen Show.

This is Metafilter, we brought you a post about 2011's Song of the Summer, "Party Rock Anthem," in February... of 2012.

(Well, I did.)
posted by Slap*Happy at 12:25 PM on January 18, 2013 [3 favorites]

I'd still not have heard of it had it not been for this post, so I'm glad of it, as being late to the party is better than having it pass you by entirely.

Still... it bears mention. I don't usually think of MeFites as having to play catch-up culturally with people who watch daytime talk shows.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 12:38 PM on January 18, 2013 [1 favorite]

I have absolutely no awareness of mainstream popular music, so I had no idea that the indie hip-hop band that's been so beloved by Seattle's indie radio and in-the-know music fans had a #1 hit. Good for them!
posted by matildaben at 12:56 PM on January 18, 2013 [2 favorites]

Wow. I hated everything about this song until the 2:00 mark. Then I was hooked.
posted by R. Schlock at 2:00 PM on January 18, 2013

It's kind of mindblowing that MeFi was enough behind the curve on this one that it didn't make it onto the blue until it was already a number one hit that had been featured on The Ellen Show.

They're huge enough that I was able to hate them after a few lines ages ago. It is pretty embarrassing that we're so behind the times. Let me tell you about an obscure local musician named 'Gotye'.

That said, I didn't hear Adele until Skyfall, but my ignorance is willful.

Stuff You Will Hate takes on Macklemore
posted by Charlemagne In Sweatpants at 4:01 PM on January 18, 2013

Personally, I'd find it embarrassing to be listening to enough radio and watching enough daytime television to be "with the times."
posted by cmoj at 4:08 PM on January 18, 2013 [1 favorite]

Previously on the green, thanks to which my wife has been playing this song continuously for a month and a half.
posted by Monsieur Caution at 5:43 PM on January 18, 2013

What does "Ima pop some tags" mean? sounds like shoplifting, not thrift shopping. The next line "only got $20 in my pocket" seems to back it up. But the rest of the song does not seem like it's about shoplifting. but what else "pop some tags" mean?
posted by BurnChao at 6:54 PM on January 18, 2013

pop tags... according to Urban Dictionary:

When you have so much money that all you do is buy clothing. Therefore you are constantly popping tags off your merchandise.


Also, apparently, when you kill somebody for street cred, originating when soldiers who would take the dog tags off of enemies they killed.

(I only knew this because I had already looked it up there.)
posted by MCMikeNamara at 7:20 PM on January 18, 2013 [1 favorite]

Rap Genius breaks down the whole song in case, like me, you don't know what a come up is.
posted by Rock Steady at 7:54 PM on January 18, 2013 [3 favorites]

Metafilter: So White We Need Macklemore Lyrics Explained

(I'm in this category too)
posted by Charlemagne In Sweatpants at 8:04 PM on January 18, 2013 [15 favorites]

I posted this video on Facebook a few days ago, and the only person who liked it was my 73 year old mother.

Clearly, I need new friends.
posted by MexicanYenta at 9:51 PM on January 18, 2013 [1 favorite]

Haha, brilliant! My boyfiend and I were in the gym yesterday, where they play MTV with the sound off. When he came up to the exercise bikes, I said, "I'm so out of touch with culture today, I can't even tell if these are comedy videos or real music videos. They keep showing this thing with a load of people jumping around a thrift shop..." This is such an earworm, and it's great. :D
posted by daisyk at 1:40 AM on January 19, 2013

Said boyfiend just came out of the bedroom, dressed for the day. He is indeed wearing his grandpa's jumper and it looks awesome.
posted by daisyk at 1:41 AM on January 19, 2013

Wait, this is the first time this song has been on the Blue?

I find that hard to believe. A young guy I worked with last summer told me it was the hottest song around. Or maybe he was making a (very accurate, if so) prediction. I like the video a lot, even though thrift shops are a little too high-class for me. (A substantial part of my wardrobe comes from friends who were throwing the clothes out.)
posted by LeLiLo at 1:45 AM on January 19, 2013

I like the video a lot, even though thrift shops are a little too high-class for me.

I heard it on the radio yesterday and was like "this is catchy" and then went home and saw the video ("this is fun") and then looked up the Rap Genius meanings ("I am an old") and then watched more of Macklemore's videos ("same love is wonderful"), watched a few take-offs (gamer, pentatonix) and only then did I decide to come here and see if people were chatting about it. Whatever the curve was to get it to MetaFilter, I am only a few hours behind it! And I just got a sweater at the local thrift store for $1.25, LeLiLo, you should check out my local thrift stores, they are firmly set at 1970 prices.
posted by jessamyn at 7:54 AM on January 19, 2013 [4 favorites]

this was just voted the most popular song in Australia for the past year. Ugh.
posted by Charlemagne In Sweatpants at 4:52 PM on January 26, 2013

Is there really no pop in Australia, or is Triple J just not that kind of thing?
posted by smackfu at 2:34 PM on February 5, 2013

It's the top song in the US, too: the real story how Macklemore got 'Thrift Shop' to number one
posted by filthy light thief at 4:53 PM on February 8, 2013

I want that young girl's last line and giggle as my ringtone.

I'm not sure how this will really sound on repeat, but here you go.

Clipped from an MP3 with MP3DirectCut, a Windows freeware program that allows you to non-destructively edit MP3s.
posted by filthy light thief at 7:47 PM on February 8, 2013

the real story how Macklemore got 'Thrift Shop' to number one

That was super short on details. They hired a distributor who is owner by Warner. And that's some expose that means they're not keeping it real? Weird.
posted by jessamyn at 7:52 PM on February 8, 2013

This transcript from the related NPR Planet Money segment has a bit more information, and refers to Paul Porter's RapRehab.com site, with its own article on Macklemore's rise to fame. It looks like The Listener Label had this covered in late January, more than a week before the Rap Rehab article, with a good summary of what their contract with ADA brought:

Once an act signed to ADA begins to create buzz and generate certain interest from various parties, Warner Music Group's Radio, Promotion, and Sales departments begin to take control. While it is only a distribution deal, when the distribution becomes lucrative, that is when the execs upstairs get going; a seamless transition because the whole business is in-house.

In short: they signed for distribution, which lead to radio coverage.
posted by filthy light thief at 4:08 PM on February 10, 2013

Is there really no pop in Australia, or is Triple J just not that kind of thing?

Thrift Shop is pop, and Triple J is a 'youth music station', whatever that means.
posted by Charlemagne In Sweatpants at 4:19 PM on February 10, 2013

I hope the popularity of this song doesn't mean that people are going to go to the thrift store more and make it harder for the old time thrifters to find cool clothes.
posted by Charlemagne In Sweatpants at 4:20 PM on February 10, 2013

I hope the popularity of this song doesn't mean that people are going to go to the thrift store more and make it harder for the old time thrifters to find cool clothes.

Sorry, CiS. Just the other day I was driving past a dumpy old thrift store in my neighborhood that I've never been in to, and I thought I might pop in there one day soon to check out their big-ass coat and gator shoe selection.
posted by Rock Steady at 4:55 PM on February 10, 2013